


Let's be rivals!

by purplefox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Minato POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 17:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8999701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: Everything was going perfect for Minato, then Kushina told him their senseis were rivals... and she wanted them to be the same. That had not been Minato's plan at all, he does not even know who Kushina's Jounin sensei even is!





	

For Minato it begins during a quiet lunch that he had finally managed to arrange away from his team and Kushina’s, everything is perfect and going just how it should be, he’s doing fine, marvellous if he listens to Jiraiya sensei.

The village is mostly well, he gets to see Kushina fairly often but not often enough for himself but that is perfectly fine with him. He’ll take what he can get, a lunch away from both their teams at the beginning of spring, it is better than it should be. He had been watching her for so long it feels great to be finally beside her.

He guesses that is why she blindsided him the way she glances at him her eyes sparkling, opens her mouth and announces with pride. “My Sensei can kick your sensei’s ass.”

“What?” He thought that maybe he had misheard her.

“My sensei can kick Jiraiya-sensei’s ass.” She repeated with a snort before she bit into her dango. “No trouble at all either.”

It takes a ridiculous effort for Minato to not immediately object to what she had said because, he does not want to upset her and also it is Jiraiya-sensei. The man’s reputation is legendary his habits aside. He knows Kushina knows this but for her to claim her sensei was better and could beat his sensei it was-

Hell he did not even know who her sensei was. Jiraiya-sensei had claimed them early that first day and he always ran into her after her missions or just before. She never said her sensei’s name either… Minato stared at Kushina’s profile as he tried his best to figure out who her sensei was that she could have such confidence in.

It was obviously misplaced because… Jiraiya-sensei after all but for Kushina to take to him so well and so quickly he had to be at least sort of good.

“Our sensei’s are rivals you know.” Kushina said and Minato nodded as his mind raced trying to figure out just who on earth the sensei could possibly be. “We should be too! I won’t lose to you Minato, genius or not.”

Minato was left speechless because a rival relationship had not been what he had been aiming for all this time. Maybe it was time to go back to the drawing board or ask his own sensei for advice since Kushina kept missing his point.

He had been unable to finish his food, loss of appetite and he wondered and wondered who Kushina’s sensei was. Minato had been so caught up in his own team and making certain he had no rivals on Kushina’s team that he had not paid attention to who was supposed to be teaching them.

He could always ask his own sensei but Jiraiya-sensei liked it when he found things out for himself. It was that reason that he spent so much studying and training on his own around Konoha. He loved the village and the citizens, he wanted to become Hokage and the best way to do that was to let his knowledge and love for the village grow. But obviously he was slacking in the knowledge department. He had to do better.

X

He had forgotten to ask about Kushina’s sensei. It had slipped his mind until she had popped up with a bunch of Kunais that were not for genins or even Chuunins and had started to chuck them at the targets with startling and frankly frightening accuracy.

Minato allowed himself a few seconds to soak up Kushina’s look of concentration before he realized that she was looking at him. “Yes?” He asked before he resumed throwing his own throwing stars.

“My sensei is taking me out the village for a while.” Kushina shrugged before she resumed throwing. “He says he wants to do the next stage where the village won’t end up as collateral damage.”

Minato thought of the war briefings the many injured shinobi wandering around and of course the horror stories from those that returned talking about how the mission was supposed to have been a simple mission. The training was a good idea but out the village? “Is that wise?” He asked carefully. “Just you and your sensei?”

“Yup.” Kushina nodded. “Sensei can handle himself. Even the Hokage think’s it is a good idea since I kind of uprooted some the forest last time.”

Minato had not heard about that. “The Hokage is okay with it?” That just meant that Kushina’s teacher really was competent. “But is it really a good idea? I mean there is so much fighting going on.”

“That’s why sensei is going to be careful.” She sniffed before she stalked over to the stumps to retrieve her kunais. “I won’t be in any danger. She paused to huff. “Maybe of exhaustion but I will be fine, just telling you so you won’t worry when you don’t see me around the village.” She tucked away the kunais swiftly. “And so you know you’ll have to step up your training too. I’m not going to lose to you ya know. Don’t pay me any attention and I’ll knock you on your ass Minato.”

Minato blinked before he sighed and went to retrieve his own weapons. He yanked the first star out with a bit more force than was needed. “I don’t underestimate you.” He pointed out. “I never did, I know you can handle yourself and I never saw you as someone I have to measure myself against.”

“Oh?” Kushina’s tone was too quiet, too even and Minato sighed.

“I saw you as one of the village, someone to have my back, protect and help because I want to be Hokage one day.” He eyed the grooves in the stump. “I never thought about defeating you and crowing about it, just… being a team and working together.” He cleared his throat and glanced at her. “I have no problem improving with you, sparring with you but I’m thinking about it in a friendly matter and… well you are making it sound like a kill or be killed matter.”

Kushina tilted her head slowly eyeing him and moments passed as she just watched him without saying anything. It reminded Minato of a predator. “Oh.” She said softly. “Friends.”

“Yes.” Minato smiled.

“We can do that.” She was still watching him with a predator’s stare.

“That’s great!” Minato smiled.

“But I want to fight you one day, no holding back… all out.” She finally smiled. “Like our senseis did.” Minato had no clue what or who she was talking about.

X

Kushina feels so beautiful. Minato had intended to go over to her and start a conversation but he could feel her chakra from where he stands. He had intended to jump down from the tree but the force of the chakra keeps him on the branch his feet lightly swaying as he watches Kushina’s hair dance from the chakra she’s building up and the chakra releasing.

“Not bad.” Minato hears his own teacher say. He squawks a little and flails as Jiraiya-sensei marches into view and kneels next to where Kushina sits. “He’s right the sly bastard. He is absolutely right.”

The chakra fades slowly and Kushina slowly sits up properly. “So I’m ready Jraiya-sensei?” She sounds excited.

“You’ll pass the exam for certain.” His sensei laughs. “The physical part. Gotta work on your tact and your planning, maybe watch your sensei a little more but I have no doubt you and Minato will make it. You’re a real beast kid.” Jiraiya-sensei’s hand ruffled Kushina’s hair as the man grins. “Just like your sensei.”

Minato has no idea what is going on.

X

It’s only when their team gets ambushed that it finally comes together for Minato. It takes Kushina being yanked back by the ribbon of her dress and the dreadful snarl coming from Orochimaru as he stabs a man through the throat with a sword he had pulled from his mouth for it to click for him.

It took Jiraiya-sensei grabbing them all like children and tucking them under his arms, running away from Orochimaru as the area around Orochimaru feels more than dangerous. It feels so hot, it pulls at him, Minato could feel it destroying the air around them.

“He’s just like a Jinchuuriki when you get put in danger Kushina.” Jiraiya-sensei sighed when he deposited them a fair distance away from Orochimaru. “Watch closely, he’s still in control so you should be able to see how to do the burst wave.”

“The what?” Minato questioned his mind still reeling over the fact that Orochimaru was Kushina’s beloved sensei.

“Minato take a good look too.” Jiraiya-sensei muttered ignoring Minato’s very important question. “The poor bastards. Anyway everything in a 200 yard radius is going to turn to ash.”

“What?”

“Cool!” Minato’s teammate whispers. Minato feels sorry for his lack of self preservation but the feeling of wrongness intensifies before ahead of them something dark and purple explodes in a ball.

“Ahh it wasn’t that bad.” Jiraiya-sensei sighs. “Well it could be the Nawaki incident again so we lucked out.”

“The Hokage complained for weeks about that.” Kushina muttered. “The river is gone Jiraiya-sensei!”

“If they hadn’t gotten lucky with that arrow they wouldn’t have lost that river.” Jiraiya-sensei replies. “God I hope he never has kids. He overreacts every single damn time something happens. He never did this for us! We’re his friends and I don’t get hugged or cradled or protected.”

“You.” A hiss makes Minato startle to realize Orochimaru had made his way to them his Jounin clothes smoking lightly. “Are not cute.” It scares Minato the soft way he looks at Kushina. “Is your neck alright?”

“Just a light brush.” She reassures and Minato thinks back to Kushina wanting to become rivals again. His sensei is a kind man he has his thread of steel of him but deep down he is a kind and good man. Orochimaru on the other hand… it would be better for him if he started to take Kushina’s declarations seriously.


End file.
